LCD Soundsystem 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' review

More an affectionate eulogy and high-emotion, celebratory wake than a music documentary, this video portrait of the last ever live show by LCD Soundsystem follows singer-songwriter James Murphy as he experiences the dying days of his much-loved band.

In April 2011, the electro legends sell out New York's Madison Square Garden to play what they promise will be their final live show. The four-hour set, featuring Arcade Fire stars as on-stage guests, was a once-in-a-lifetime carnival of punk rock-infused dance and electronica in front of 18,000 fans.

Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern imbue the charmingly-shot film with realism and intimacy.

After the film's premiere in London, the pair admitted to the audience in a special Stella Artois Q&A session alongside Murphy that a slick 'Bon Jovi-esque' production - with sweeping camera shots and a high-gloss 'rockstars on a pedestal' feel - was the precise opposite of what they wanted to achieve.

Cameramen at the gig (including Spike Jonze) were simply told "film anything interesting" and the result is true to the live experience - taking in tears, joy, sweat and humor - of one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of a generation.

Touching moments include revealing footage of Murphy away from the limelight: walking his dog in his pyjamas; brewing coffee at home. Crying at the sight of the band's redundant instruments, banished to a lonely storage unit.

In between the personal clips and a fascinating interview - bordering on a counselingsession - with US journalist Chuck Klosterman, thrilling live tracks including 'Losing My Edge' and 'North American Scum' remind us why LCD Soundsystem burned so bright.

The star of course, was always Murphy. Disarmingly affable, often overly-analytical and acutely self-conscious, the 42-year-old founder of DFA Records allows us into his universe as the sun implodes; it's a beautiful sight.